owding, sweated
labor and sordid poverty on the one hand, together with self-indulgence,
idleness and sordid luxury on the other, continue to work mental, moral
and physical ruin?

Simple obedience to the hygienic and moral commands of Moses, Buddha,
Christ, Muhammad or Baha'u'llah would do more in the way of preventing
disease than all the doctors and all the public health regulations in the
world have been able to accomplish. In fact, it seems certain that were
such obedience general, good health would also become general. Instead of
lives being blighted by disease of cut off in infancy, youth or prime, as
so frequently happens now, men would live to a ripe old age, like sound
fruits that mature and mellow ere they drop from the bough.

The Prophet as Physician

We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the
commands of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule;
where love of self has been a more prevalent motive than love of God;
where limited and party interests have taken precedence of the interests
of humanity as a whole; where material possessions and sensual pleasures
have been preferred to the social and spiritual welfare of mankind. Hence
have arisen fierce competition and conflict, oppression and tyranny,
extremes of wealth and poverty--all those conditions which breed disease,
mental and physical. As a consequence, the whole tree of humanity is sick,
and every leaf on the tree shares in the general sickness. Even the purest
and holiest have to suffer for the sins of others. Healing is
needed--healing of humanity as a whole, of nations and of individuals. So
Baha'u'llah, like His inspired predecessors, not only shows how health is
to be maintained, but also how it may be recovered when lost. He comes as
the Great Physician, the Healer of the world's sicknesses, both of body
and of mind. Healing by Material Means

In the Western world of today there is evident a remarkable revival of
belief in the efficacy of healing by mental and spiritual means. Indeed
many, in their revolt against the materialistic ideals about disease and
its treatment which prevailed in the nineteenth century, have gone to the
opposite extreme of denying that material remedies or hygienic methods
have any value whatsoever. Baha'u'llah recognizes the value of both
material and spiritual remedies. He teaches that the science and art of
healing must be developed, encouraged and perfected, s